After a rough breakup, I felt empty, like a bell pepper with the top cut out. Friends tried to cheer me up, but talking was too hard. I reached for my soft orange keychain, squeezed it and let tears fall. In that unjudged moment, I felt a spark: tears could wash out pain and leave space for something new. I lit a candle, wrote a list of small joys, and discovered hope doesn’t need to roar, it can flicker gently.

If you truly want to be respected by people you love, you must prove to them that you can survive without them.

In the days that followed, I clipped Poppy to my mirror and started each morning reading that list. I felt small but solid, like a seed waiting to sprout. Slowly, I found myself smiling at passing strangers, sharing a bit of light, just as Poppy had shared hers with me.